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Encouragement 04-01-04

Hebrews 11:6, But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. (NKJ)

Devotion:

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to have more faith than others? Faith does vary from person to person. I'm sure you can think of someone you know who has incredible faith-the kind you'd like to have. The good news is you can have incredible faith, too. Faith is the result of a growing process that develops as we practice certain disciplines.

Here's how you can you know if you're growing in faith:

First, our faith grows through knowledge. The more we know God, and the more we know about His faithfulness the more our faith grows. There are several ways to know God. We can know God through prayer, attending church, and through other believers. However, the best place to get to know God is in His Word. You can meet Him there any day, anytime and in any place. If you have a deep hunger to know God through His Word, be assured, you are growing in your faith.

Secondly, our faith grows when we believe God. Not just believe in Him or about Him, but when we take Him at His Word. Believing God is when we choose to believe what He says about our situation no matter what it looks like or feels like. When nothing seems to be going your way, a good promise to claim is Romans 8:28. "God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." Our faith grows when we believe God's promises over our bad situations.

Third, our faith is growing when we trust God to meet our needs. When making decisions in life, we don't always know what's best-but God does. Don't let your reasoning get in the way of trusting God. It will stunt your growth. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." (NKJ) When we trust instead of reason, we will experience the faithfulness of God and our faith will grow to new heights!

Fourth, our faith grows is when we daily confess our sins. When a parent and child have a disagreement, it doesn't change the fact that they are parent and child. On the other hand, the argument does break their fellowship and damage their relationship until heart felt apologies are exchanged. The same thing happens in our relationship with the Father when we sin against Him. It doesn't change the fact that He is our Father and we are His children. We don't lose our salvation, but our sin does break our fellowship and damage our relationship. "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." (1 John 1:9.NLT) We need to ask God's forgiveness on a daily basis in order to continue to grow in His grace and experience the blessings of being His child.

Finally, we will know we are growing in our faith when we begin to live it out in our every day lives. As you practice obeying God's word, believing His promises, trusting His wisdom and confessing your sin, soon you'll be the one with the incredible faith that will sustain you throughout your journey.

My Prayer for Today:

Dear Lord, I desire more faith. Help me to know you in your Word. Teach my heart to trust you when things don't make sense, and help me to stand firm on your promises. I commit to walking with you daily in every area of my life. In Jesus' name, A-men.

Applications Steps:

Since faith comes from hearing God's Word, spend time reading your Bible today. Ask God to reveal something new to you about Himself. Ask Him to show you His precious and powerful promises. Ask God to show you His everlasting love and provision. Ask to know Him, for to know Him is to believe and to believe is FAITH.

Reflection points:

How would you rate your faith on a scale of one to ten-ten being the highest?

What keeps you from growing in your faith?

What areas listed above do you need to practice in order for your faith to grow?

Are you trusting God like you should?

Do you really know Him, or do you just know about Him?

Power Verses:

Hebrews 11:1, now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of thing not seen. (NKJ)

2 Corinthians, 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. (NKJ)

Romans 1:17b, the just shall live by faith. (NKJ)

Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (NKJ)

Mark 9:23, Jesus said unto him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes".